Tell you what, it certainly looks grand.
With the popularity of SUVs the way they are, it’s no wonder that Korean marque Hyundai has decided that the second showing of its new design direction ought to be shown off with a big, high-riding family car. After wowing the world with the beautiful Le Fil Rouge concept (or Hyundai Design Concept-1), the Hyundai Grandmaster (HDC-2) has been rolled out, showing what happens when design elements get upsized.
The Grandmaster is an enormous thing, certainly larger than something like a Hyundai Santa Fe. However, some design cues have been carried over from Le Fil Rouge, like the front grille with its cascading polygons arranged in symmetrical pattern (rather than the “parametric jewels” from the Le Fil Rouge). That grill sits within a brushed silver frame which also underlines the headlights, which are of a split two-tier setup, as seen on several new Hyundai SUVs.
The profile sees a rather interesting window frame, with two silver elements that are unconventional in shape and application. The upper half serves almost to split the windowline from the body-coloured C-pillar rearwards, while the lower-half window garnish doesn’t touch that portion at all, altogether looking a little bit like what Cadillac did with the new Escalade. Also noteworthy down the sides are the huge, flared wheelarches, which are incredibly prominent and help to break up the slab-sided image of the Grandmaster.
The rear is rather plan, when compared with the rest of the concept car. There are a pair of slim, vertical taillights, pushed right into the corners of the vehicle, and a silver rear bash plate that, on a production model, will never actually be bashed in its lifetime.
It’s no secret that Hyundai is working on a full-size SUV similar to what’s being previewed by the Grandmaster. It’s rumoured that it’ll be called the ‘Palisade,’ and will utilise the same underpinnings as the Kia Telluride. The production version of the Grandmaster (with a less-cringey name) will likely appear either very late this year or early next year, so stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more updates as they come.
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